Brennan's restaurant closed but new owner Ralph Brennan says he has plans for the business

Updated on Jun 28, 2013 at 06:21 PM CDT

Scott Bernier, Chief Operating Officer at Second Harvest Food Bank Greater New Orleans and Acadiana, carries boxes of food out of Brennan's Restaurant in the French Quarter in New Orleans Friday, June 28, 2013. The management of the French Quarter landmark was evicted from the property Thursday (June 27). (Photo by Brett Duke, Nola.com | The Times-Picayune)

Paul and Susan Waits checks the doors at Brennan's Restaurant in the French Quarter in New Orleans Friday, June 28, 2013. The management of the French Quarter landmark was evicted from the property Thursday (June 27). The couple from Memphis, Tennessee was hoping to eat at the restaurant. (Photo by Brett Duke, Nola.com | The Times-Picayune)

People walk along Royal Street past Brennan's Restaurant in the French Quarter in New Orleans Friday, June 28, 2013. The management of the French Quarter landmark was evicted from the property Thursday (June 27). (Photo by Brett Duke, Nola.com | The Times-Picayune)

People walk along Royal Street past Brennan's Restaurant in the French Quarter in New Orleans Friday, June 28, 2013. The management of the French Quarter landmark was evicted from the property Thursday (June 27). (Photo by Brett Duke, Nola.com | The Times-Picayune)

Scott Bernier, Chief Operating Officer at Second Harvest Food Bank Greater New Orleans and Acadiana, carries boxes of food out of Brennan's Restaurant in the French Quarter in New Orleans Friday, June 28, 2013. The management of the French Quarter landmark was evicted from the property Thursday (June 27). (Photo by Brett Duke, Nola.com | The Times-Picayune)

People walk along Royal Street past Brennan's Restaurant in the French Quarter in New Orleans Friday, June 28, 2013. The management of the French Quarter landmark was evicted from the property Thursday (June 27). (Photo by Brett Duke, Nola.com | The Times-Picayune)

People walk along Royal Street past Brennan's Restaurant in the French Quarter in New Orleans Friday, June 28, 2013. The management of the French Quarter landmark was evicted from the property Thursday (June 27). (Photo by Brett Duke, Nola.com | The Times-Picayune)
(Brett Duke / NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

Brennan's restaurant, a French Quarter landmark that has been roiled by family squabbles, unexpectedly closed Friday morning (June 28). But the new owner of the building --
New Orleans restaurateur Ralph Brennan, who is a cousin of the restaurant's owners -- says he plans to put the business "back into commerce soon."

Still, the closure apparently means the end of "Breakfast at Brennan's" on Royal Street -- a popular tourist attraction for decades. The management of the restaurant was evicted from the property Thursday (June 27) at 2:15 p.m. by Leggo / 4, a corporation that purchased the property at 417-425 Royal St. at auction in May, said attorney Vic Welsh, who represents the most recent manager of the restaurant, Owen Pip Brennan Jr., son of founder Owen Brennan Sr.

Welsh dropped a bombshell Friday morning when he said that Ralph Brennan, the owner of
a string of successful New Orleans restaurants
, is a partner in Leggo / 4 and therefore has had a role in wrestling the restaurant away from his client. Pip Brennan is disappointed for the employees, who find themselves out of work, Welsh said.

Welsh said he received an email Thursday night in which Leggo / 4 said they were going to throw out all the perishables if we didnt come by and retrieve them.

Welsh provided what he said was a copy of the email he received from Leggo / 4 concerning the perishables:

Dear Vic, In connection with the effectuation of the Writ of Possession as we have not seized the perishables, we are required to dispose of them by tossing them out if the owner does not remove them. Please advise if your client wishes to remove them or if your client wishes to perhaps donate them. If so, we (will) work with you to arrange access tomorrow for that purpose. If we have not received written instructions regarding disposition of the perishables by noon tomorrow, we will proceed to throw them away.

Welsh said that Pip Brennan plans to donate the food to charity.

Pip Brennan has filed a lawsuit in federal court to get the property back, Welsh said. He also is considering other locations for the historic restaurant.

Greg Beuerman, a spokesman for Ralph Brennan, said that the Leggo / 4 corporation that purchased the Royal Street property has been replaced by another business entity titled 417 Royal LLC., which will manage future developments of the restaurant. Ralph Brennan is a principal owner of 417 Royal LLC.

When asked whether Ralph Brennan planned to reopen Brennan's, Beuerman replied: "Not the same restaurant. But it's safe to say that a new restaurant is high on the list of possibilities."

Despite what he called the unfortunate things that have taken place, Beuerman said the eviction does give the new ownership a clean opportunity to create a profitable, productive enterprise that continues to do justice to that iconic location.

In a written statement, Ralph Brennan said that he had unsuccessfully tried to help the Royal Street restaurant overcome its economic challenges.

For the last two years, I have been in repeated contact with my cousins in an effort to help avert the financial crisis that Brennans Inc. finds itself in today," he said. "Several offers to inject capital into the company were made and rejected.

Brennan said that during the May auction of the property, he and his partners outbid others to keep the building in the family and plan to bring the building back into commerce soon. (
Look for the full text of the statement at the bottom of the story.
)

His efforts to negotiate a lease with cousin Pip went nowhere, he said, so he and his partners took possession of the property. He blames the restaurant management for not making the employees aware of the coming closure.

Beuerman said its premature to discuss details or a timetable.

The June 27 eviction was only the most recent chapter in a
rancorous family feud
that has afflicted the 60-year-old restaurant for years. Ted Brennan and his daughter, Bridget Brennan Tyrrell, managed the restaurant from 2006 until June, when they were ousted by Pip Brennan. Tyrrell said she was a little surprised to learn that cousin Ralph Brennan had become one of the restaurants landlords. But, she said, when the property sold for a high price at auction in May, she suspected something was up.

When the price went up to almost $7 million, I knew someone else was involved, she said.

Lets hope its not permanent, she said of the closure. Lets hope the restaurant will stay open. Hopefully, something will happen in 24 to 48 hours.

On Friday morning outside the restaurant, Brennan's food
server Dylan Hernandez said the closure came without much warning. He
said a sheriff appeared "and had to tell everyone to leave."

Hernandez said that later, some staff members arrived in uniform, unaware of the situation.

Tourist Stephanie Sanders appeared at the restaurant door Friday morning unaware that her brunch reservations were null.

"We were quite excited," she said. "Every time we come to New Orleans, we make reservations here."

Sanders said that Friday's brunch would have been her young daughter Mary Ella's first trip to the restaurant. The family had planned to order crepes and Bananas Foster for dessert.

Statement from Ralph Brennan regarding new ownership of 417 Royal Street

The closure of Brennans restaurant is regrettable and sad, but could have been averted many times over the past two years. For the last two years, I have been in repeated contact with my cousins in an effort to help avert the financial crisis that Brennans Inc. finds itself in today. Several offers to inject capital into the company were made and rejected.

Shortly before the foreclosure sale on May 23, 2013, I joined with Terry White in an effort to purchase the building and keep the building in the Brennan Family. The foreclosure sale drew other bidders; however, Terry and I were successful in acquiring the building, and we look forward to bringing the building back into commerce soon.

Subsequent to our acquisition, Brennans never provided any proposal with regard to a lease on the space. Last Friday, having received no proposal, we presented a proposal addressing all outstanding issues, which was rejected by all parties with the promise of a counter offer which we never received.

Absent any counter offer proceedings began last week for us to assume full possession of the building. Brennans was given proper notice, knew the deadline, and made no effort to contest the proceedings. Therefore, it should have come as no surprise yesterday when Brennans was evicted from the building.

It is regrettable that they chose not to inform their employees that closure was imminent but I am committed to working with interested employees to find employment where possible.

We are disappointed and more than a bit surprised that we need not receive a meaningful response to our settlement proposal, therefore future plans for the building are uncertain at this time. We will make a statement as to those plans at a later date.